Frozen Time
by mysteriously.mesmerized
Summary: Two different people. One tragic incident. One's time has stopped at that very moment, while the other urges him on. Two purposes. One winter night. One kind of love. Perfect pair. TeFu .: Dedicated to finding :.


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**-Frozen Time-  
**.x.o.x.o.x.o.x.o.

**Original version: 15 January 2009 **to** 24 January 2009**

**Revised version: 26 January 2009 **to** 27 January 2009**

**Rated: T**

**Pairing: Perfect (TezukaFuji): AU**

**A/N: This is my first time writing Perfect pair, haha, so do expect some OOCness, if any. (Which I sincerely hope not. XDD) Many hopes that you'll enjoy it, Melo-sama! :D**

**.: Dedicated to finding (a.k.a: Melo-sama~ :D) for her birthday :.**

* * *

Fuji slipped his bare hands into the warmth of his jacket's pockets as he stepped onto the gray stone path of the seemingly deserted park. The pale wintry sun of the chilly winter afternoon shone onto the bare trees, casting eerie shadows onto the grass and the empty wooden benches that lined the pathways of the quiet park. The crispy cold air was stiff with stillness; his warm breath condensed into white foggy puffs. Even his soft footsteps seemed to echo through the trees and the stony pavement.

He came to a halt beneath a large oak tree. One could imagine when summer comes, the oak tree in full bloom; its lush green leaves in all its glory, swaying gently in the warm breeze and offering a cool shade under its thick canopy. But now, it was dark and bare; its exposed branches jutted out sinisterly, contrasting sharply with the pale blue sky beyond. It was here, he mused, where it had ended.

"Exactly twenty past five, in the afternoon," Fuji murmured, glancing at a delicate golden watch around his wrist.

Part of the leather wristband had already flaked off, and the arms of the watch no longer ticked. The time shown on the watch was twenty past five, and it hadn't changed since. The blue eyed prodigy took out his phone and glanced at it: three minutes to five. He was a bit early today, he smiled to himself, he still had twenty-three minutes. He decided to take a small walk through the park, it was a great way for him to pass the time. The sun had already dipped towards the horizon, splashing the sky with light shades of orange, yellow, pink and purple.

He stared up at the clouds, watching them drift slowly across the landscape. He was about to walk away when a voice cut through his thoughts.

"Fuji."

Upon hearing his name being called, the blue eyed prodigy turned around, "Why, what a coincidence," he smiled, "Tezuka."

"Indeed," The stoic captain nodded.

"What brings you here?"

Tezuka looked at him in the eye, "It's today, isn't it?"

Fuji's smile stiffened, but he said nothing. They stood there facing each other for a moment, then Fuji broke the silence, "Yes," he opened his eyes and revealed his clear blue orbs, "Yes, it is today." he sighed, staring up at the sky once more, where heavy clouds were beginning to gather, masking the setting sun behind a blurry mass of gray.

The sky slowly darkened and a sharp breeze picked up. The passers-by all hurried back to their homes, leaving the park completely deserted. One by one, the street lamps flickered on, casting a dim light upon the two lone figures standing under the oak tree.

A wistful smile tugged at the prodigy's lips, "It is exactly like three years ago," he said, closing his eyes, "I was standing under this oak tree," he turned around to face the ancient tree once more, admiring how its bare branches spread out so evenly above him, "My cell phone rang, and when I answered it, the most shocking news reached my ears," he hand squeezed the phone in his pocket, as if afraid that it will start ringing again.

"Fuji." Tezuka said, wanting to stop the boy before him from having to go through his melancholy again.

But the prodigy didn't seem to hear him, "The call was from the hospital, from his doctor," he continued, his lips still curved into a smile, "And to think he just gave me my belated new year present the day before, how ironic, don't you think?" Fuji raised his left wrist and fingered the watch, "I dropped it onto the ground out of shock, it stopped ticking and the wristband was scarred. But I never bothered to have it repaired, and I've worn it ever since."

Tezuka listened to the boy's story, a story that he had heard three years before. A story that he had heard from the exact same person every year. A story that he had already heard three times. A story that he was going to hear again this year. A story that hurt him although the one who got hurt wasn't him at all.

"Fuji, enough, stop."

"And then, god knows why, I didn't even go to see his face for the last time before he was to be rested peacefully under his blanket of soil," Fuji leaned against the tree trunk, his voice becoming rather shaky, but furious, "I merely stayed here; I stayed here and cursed him. He had said that he would finish the long journey ahead of us with me; he had said that he would stay with me until the day the watch no longer ticked! I cursed him. I cursed him for leaving me behind, I cursed him for lying to me, and I cursed him for keeping his last promise."

"Enough!"

Fuji slowly turned around, and saw that Tezuka's eyebrows were locked together in a deep frown.

"...It's about time you let go."

Fuji looked back at him calmly, almost too calm, "I've already—"

"No, you haven't let go," Tezuka interrupted him, his voice quiet but firm, "If you had let go, you wouldn't have told me that story over and over again, you wouldn't have kept that watch, and you wouldn't have come to this park at this time every year."

Fuji's expression didn't change, his lips were curved into a smile as always, "You're surprisingly talkative today."

"Or so I may be, but I want you to move on," he looked into his eyes, "I want to push your frozen time onwards again."

The prodigy's eyes opened, surprise clearly written in his azure orbs. Tezuka approached the unmoving figure, and pulled the prodigy's cold hand out of his pocket, wherein the stoic captain placed a neatly wrapped rectangular box.

"This is...?" Fuji stared at the gift in his hands, and glanced quizzically at the man in front of him.

"My late new year's gift." was the reply.

Fuji's body stiffened and he masked his eyes behind strands of hair, "Are you mocking me?"

Tezuka's expression was calm, "Certainly not."

Fuji narrowed his eyes at the man standing in front of him and glanced down at the box in his hands hesitantly.

"Go on, open it."

"What do you mean by this?"

Tezuka looked at the brunet with a complex expression, "...I want to push your frozen time onwards again." He repeated.

Not looking at him in the eye, Fuji raised his hand and unwrapped the gift slowly and opened the box, revealing a brand new wristwatch with golden arms and black leather wristband. The gilded arms ticked away merrily, the rhythmic strokes somehow forming a melodic symphony in his ears.

"Next year, you will be able to tell a more happy and enjoyable story."

A warm smiled adorned his lips then, and Fuji looked at the broken watch around his wrist. He glanced up at Tezuka and extended his arm, "Remove it for me."

The corners of Tezuka's lips curved up slightly, for a stoic person like him, guess that that was what he would call a smile. He took off the scarred watch and dug a little hole in the soil with his foot. Together, the two of them buried the frozen time under the ancient oak tree.

Flakes of white snow drifted down from the sky, forming a wintry scene before them. The pale silvery moonlight washed down upon the landscape, making the snowflakes glisten like fairy dust.

This night, his time was pushed forward.

This night, he spent it with someone special.

This night, his smile reached his eyes.

And this night, he is going to start a brand new story with him.

.x.o.x.  
**-End-  
**.x.o.x.

**Happy Birthday, Melo-sama!! X33**

**Reviews and criticism would be very much appreciated! :D**


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